Florida Ethnobotany

Florida Ethnobotany provides a cross-cultural examination of how the state’s native plants have been used by its various peoples. This compilation includes common names of plants in their historical sequence, weaving together what was formerly esoteric information about each species into a full reference. The author accomplishes the monumental task of translating the common names of species, which offers insight into plant usage and a glimpse into the culture of each ethnic group or tribe. These common botanical names often demonstrate how individuals fit into their societies and how these societies functioned. Although there have been previous studies of plants used by the inhabitants of Florida, this is the first comprehensive synthesis of this flora-rich region that was so pivotal in the history of New World exploration.

About the author (2004)

Daniel F. Austin is an adjunct professor of plant sciences at the University of Arizona and a research associate at both the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson and the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. He is also professor emeritus of botany at Florida Atlantic University, where he taught for more than thirty years. He is the author or co-author of many books, including "Florida Ethnobotany".